During surgical procedures in which a major body cavity has been opened e.g. the abdomen, chest or the pericadial cavity surrounding the heart, it is a fundamental requirement that the wound through the various muscular and membranous layers should be closed at the end of the procedure. This involves restoring the organs and intestine to their normal anatomical situation and approximating together the tissues of the abdomen or chest with various types of surgical needles and suture materials.
Often, in emergency situations, there may be an inadequate number of personal to assist the surgeon who is performing the operation, and furthermore, the intestine and other organs may prolapse out of the relevant cavity to create troublesome technical difficulties for the surgeon and danger to the patient. There is also a continuous risk of injuring the bowel and another structures with a constantly moving needle point in such circumstances. Whilst a variety of rigid metal retractors and spatulas are currently available to help in these circumstances, they require to be held by an assistant and removed early in the wound closure procedure.